My first exposure to 212 Health and Performance was, I'm sure, similar to many of yours...it was on my way to the bakery next door. Colin, who I had met while a member of the previous gym he worked at, popped out and said a quick hello to me and then I went on my way with my mother to enjoy a scrumptious something. A few weeks (or months...I'm not really sure) later, I was heading in to the old gym and a sign on the front door notified members that it was closed due to damage from the hurricane that had struck over a week before. I was "miffed" that this big corporate gym couldn't get it together, or even have the courtesy to notify members of their situation. As a working mother of a 3 year old at the time, it was quite a challenge to find "gym" time. To top it off, there was a man from another corporate gym handing out flyers at the front door telling patrons to head down to the gym he worked at where a situation like this would "never happen." As this man seemed shady in his sales pitch, I remembered the gym by the coffee shop and decided to head over. I remember being so fired up over the fact that I was wasting precious time to work out that when I arrived to 212 I expressed my frustrations to Heather and told her I just wanted to know what this gym could offer to me. She explained how it was different from most traditional gyms and the process of the consultation followed by the 5 week introductory program. Colin was there and suggested that since I was dressed to work out that I hop on the bike or treadmill and get some exercise in. That was my first introduction to the 212 way of looking out for the best interest of their members.

The first week was both awful and amazing. I never realized how hard you could push your body and it both hurt and amazed me. Hurt in the sense of "Oh my God, I'm going to throw up...this kills," and amazed as in, "Holy sh&! Kate, can you believe you can lift that?!" In small group trainings Colin was a pusher, and I needed that...someone to challenge me and to allow me to challenge my own body's abilities. Throughout the past two and a half years, 212 has been such an integral part of my wellbeing, both physically and mentally. All of you (staff and members alike), are an important part of my day. Whether I've had a great day in my personal and professional life or a hectic one, I always find that as I finish up a workout at 212 I not only feel stronger and more balanced, but optimistic and both physically and mentally ready for another day of living. 212 truly has been a blessing in my life.